Vuelta a España 2024 Preview: 21 Stages with Profiles and Maps
15.08.2024
Where does the 79th Vuelta a España 2024 lead and how difficult are the individual stages? All the answers can be found here! One thing in advance: The roadbook of the 2024 Spanish tour includes two individual time trials, eight mountain stages, five medium mountain stages, five hilly stages, and one flat section. From August 17 to September 8, the last Grand Tour of the year covers 3,301.4 kilometers from Lisbon to Madrid.
Stage 1 | 17 August | Lisbon – Oeiras | 12 km, Individual Time Trial
The 2024 Vuelta a España kicks off with an individual time trial in Portugal. The riders will tackle a flat 12-kilometre route from the capital, Lisbon, to Oeiras.
Stage 2 | 18 August | Cascais – Ourém | 194 km
The second longest stage of the Vuelta spans 194 kilometres and might favour the sprinters at the finish in Ourém. The main challenge for the fast riders and their teams is a fourth-category climb about 20 kilometres from the finish. This could provide an opportunity for the puncheurs to launch an attack.
Stage 3 | 19 August | Lousã – Castello Branco | 191.2 km
The final of the three stages in Portugal spans 191 kilometres from Lousã to Castello Branco. The first three-quarters of the route are hilly and mountainous, including a second-category and a fourth-category climb. However, the terrain levels out towards the end, with the last 40 kilometres being mostly flat.
Stage 4 | 20 August | Plasencia – Pico Villuercas | 170.4 km, Mountain Finish
The first mountain stage of the Vuelta a España concludes at an altitude of 1,549 metres in the Extremadura mountains. The finish line is at Pico de Villuercas (category one). Early in the race, the peloton will tackle the Puerto del Cabezabellosa (category two) and the Alto de Piornal (category one). These climbs, located within the first 50 kilometres, offer a prime opportunity for strong climbers to break away and create tactical options for the GC contenders in the finale. The final three kilometres of the ascent to Pico de Villuercas feature concrete ramps with gradients between 15 and 16 percent.
Stage 5 | 21 August | Fuente del Maestre – Sevilla | 177 km
Officially, there are no climbs listed on the fifth stage, but over two-thirds of the route is undulating. This offers a good chance for a breakaway group to go “full gas” from the start and distance themselves from the peloton. After the previous mountain stage, the general classification should be clearer, so the breakaway riders will mainly need to watch out for the sprinter teams. This brings up questions about team strategies and true interests.
Stage 6 | 22 August | Jerez de la Frontera – Yunquera | 185.5 km, Mountain Finish
In the second mountain stage of this edition, the riders in Andalusia will face the main challenge after just 70 kilometres. The route ascends from the start, reaching the Bojar mountain pass, a category one climb. After this, the riders will need to conquer four category three climbs before the finish. The stage concludes at the summit of the Alto de las Abejas in Yunquera. The 185.5-kilometre journey through southern Spain could also favour breakaway riders.
Stage 7 | 23 August | Archidona – Córdoba | 180.2 km
The seventh stage takes the riders through the province of Córdoba on a rather unconventional route. The finish town of Córdoba is reached after 139 kilometres of undulating, slightly downhill terrain. But there’s more. The route includes a loop around the provincial capital with a category two climb, featuring a 14 percent gradient, known as the “Alto del 14%” in the roadbook. This climb is designed to thin out the main field before the finish at 179 kilometres.
Stage 8 | 24 August | Úbeda – Cazorla | 158.7 km, Mountain Finish
The mountain ranges of Jaén province will define this stage, which is expected to end in a mountain sprint in Cazorla. The Mirador de las Palomas pass, a second-category climb at 1,249 metres, will be the day’s toughest challenge. The climb to the third of the nine mountain finishes in this Vuelta is five kilometres long with moderate gradients and is unlikely to significantly affect the overall standings.
Stage 9 | 25 August | Motril – Granada | 178.2 km
The first “week” of the Vuelta a España concludes with a challenging mountain stage through the Sierra Nevada. Starting in Motril at 244 metres, the riders will first tackle the 1,498-metre-high El Purche, a first-category climb. This is followed by the double ascent of Alto de Hazallanas (also a first-category climb), before a descent of approximately 50 kilometres from 1,675 metres down to Granada.
Stage 10 | 27 August | Ponteareas – Baiona | 159.6 km
After the rest day, the 10th stage takes the riders through the mountains of Galicia. These mountains are not particularly high – well below 1,000 metres, but the climbs almost always start at sea level. Early in the stage, the riders will test themselves on the Alto de Fonfria (category one) to see who has recovered well or poorly from the rest day. The route then flattens out before a trio of climbs towards the end likely initiates an elimination race. In Baiona, a significantly reduced peloton is expected to contest the victory.
Stage 11 | 28 August | Cortizo Padrón – Cortizo Padrón | 166.4 km
This stage, a mix of classic and mountain elements, takes place around the Galician town of Padrón and spans 166.4 kilometres. The terrain is perfect for breakaways or a tactical masterclass by a team with a GC leader, similar to the 2022 Giro stage around Turin. Three second-category climbs make it hard to control the race in the first two-thirds, before the route tackles the Puerto Cruxeiras (category three) just eight kilometres from the finish.
Stage 12 | 29 August | Ourense – Estación de Manzaneda | 137.4 km, Mountain Finish
The shortest road stage of this Vuelta a España spans just 137.4 kilometres and concludes with a challenging mountain finish at the Estación de Montaña de Manzaneda, at 1,492 metres. Starting in Ourense (224 metres), the route follows a sawtooth profile, generally climbing until reaching 740 metres at kilometre 117, where the 16-kilometre ascent to the finish at Montana de Manzaneda begins. This stage in the second week of racing is expected to be crucial for the overall standings.
Stage 13 | 30 August | Lugo – Puerto de Ancares | 175.6 km, Mountain Finish
In the second week of the 2024 Vuelta a España, mountain finishes seem to come one after another. Before the riders tackle the steep slopes of the Ancares mountain pass in the finale, they must first climb the Alto Campo de Arbre (category three), Alto O Portel, and Puerto de Lumeras (both category two climbs).
The final climb is 7.7 kilometres long with an average gradient of 9 percent and ramps of 15 percent. The ascent becomes particularly brutal in the last five kilometres, where the gradient hits 12 percent. This is where Alberto Contador, in the red leader’s jersey, won the 20th stage of the 2014 Vuelta ahead of Chris Froome.
Stage 14 | 31 August | Villafranca del Bierzo – Villablino | 200.4 km
The longest stage of the 2024 Vuelta spans 200.4 kilometres from Villafranca del Bierzo to Villablino. The main challenge in the finale will be the 23-kilometre climb to Puerto de Leitariegos, a first-category ascent. However, there will still be 16 kilometres left to make up any lost ground before the finish. It’s likely that the GC leaders and their teams will allow the breakaway riders to go free today to conserve energy, only controlling the field on the final climb of the day.
Stage 15 | 1 September | Infiesto – Cuitu Negru | 142.9 km, Mountain Finish
Before the second rest day, the peloton will face another high-altitude challenge in Asturias. The stage concludes with a mountain finish at Cuitu Negru in the Pajares ski resort, at 1,843 metres. To reach the base of the final climb, the riders must tackle the Colladiella (category one) twice and Santo Emiliano (category three) once. After just 123 kilometres, the ascent to the “Asturian Colossus” begins. The road winds upwards for 19 kilometres in an irregular rhythm, with ramps of up to 23 percent gradient to overcome. After its debut in 2012, this is only the second time the Vuelta has visited this formidable climb.
Stage 16 | 3 September | Luanco – Lagos de Covadonga | 181.3 km, Mountain Finish
For the 23rd time in history, a stage of the Vuelta a España will finish at Lagos de Covadonga. This is one of the race’s most iconic and famous finales. To reach the mountain lakes, the riders must climb two first-category ascents, Fitu and Llomena, after starting in Luanco. It’s quite possible that a strong group of GC contenders will break away on the Llomena and battle for the stage win on the final climb. Notably, the mountain finish at Lagos de Covadonga is the only Especiale climb of this Vuelta – equivalent to the Hors Categorie at the Tour de France.
Stage 17 | 4 September | Monumento Juan de Castillo Arnuero – Santander | 141.5 km
Finally, a stage for the sprinters! If they can manage the two second-category climbs in the middle of the stage and their teams can catch the breakaway on the remaining flat sections, we could see a royal sprint finish in Santander after 141.5 kilometres.
Stage 18 | 5 September | Vitoria-Gasteiz – Maeztu | 179.3 km
This hilly mid-mountain stage takes the riders from Vitoria-Gasteiz to Maeztu through the Basque Country. It’s perfect for an early breakaway group, which stands a good chance of succeeding. A second-category climb and the Puerto Herrera, a first-category climb, will make it tough for the sprinters and their teams to keep the peloton together and to control and catch the breakaway.
Stage 19 | 6 September | Logroño – Alto de Moncalvillo | 173.2 km, Mountain Finish
The penultimate mountain finish of this Vuelta a España will conclude after 173.2 kilometres at Alto de Moncalvillo. The Puerto de Pradilla at kilometre 89.2 serves as a warm-up for the mountain finale, which begins about eight kilometres from the summit. The climb to Alto de Moncalvillo starts gently but becomes much more demanding in the final kilometres.
Stage 20 | 7 September | Villarcayo – Picón Blanco | 172 km, Mountain Finish
Will the Vuelta a España 2024 be decided on the penultimate day? It’s quite possible, as this 172-kilometre mountain stage includes seven passes and is almost never flat.
After climbing the Estacas de Trueba, the riders will enter Cantabrian territory and tackle several climbs before returning to the province of Burgos via the Portillo de Lunada (category one). The Portillo de la Sia (category two) could set the stage for the finale, and the riders will reach the final climb via the Puerto de Los Tornos (category one). The final ascent to Picón Blanco is a 7.5-kilometre climb to the finish at 1,518 metres.
Stage 21 | 8 September | Madrid – Madrid | 24.6 km, Individual Time Trial
The 79th edition of the Vuelta a España concludes as it began: with an individual time trial. The final battle against the clock takes place in Madrid over 24.6 kilometres. With no significant technical or topographical challenges, this stage is likely to favour the time trial specialists. The outcome of this stage is unlikely to significantly affect the top positions in the overall standings.
© Alpecin Cycling 2024
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